I have taught hundreds of seventh and eighth graders over the last 15 years. I love getting to know my students, watching them grow in their knowledge of the Bible, and seeing them spiritually mature over time. As I prepare to send my eighth grade students off to high school at the end of each year, I finish the school year with three questions I want them to carry. I call it a "High School Survival Guide," but you won't find a road map to picking the right classes, earning top academic honors, who to hang out with, what extra-curriculars to join or how to determine your future career. While all those things certainly have value, what I want my students to take with them is something on a deeper level. 

Parents, teachers, and students have had to make significant adjustments to a new normal in recent weeks. We are all feeling these adjustments in various ways: limited our out-of-home movement, restricted in-person social interaction, and endless cancelled activities and plans. And perhaps one of the biggest shifts is working and studying at home.

For students and parents trying to navigate changes in school work and instruction delivery, many of us are experiencing a whole new learning curve. Here are some tips to move us all toward success in distance and online learning...